Blessed Who Persevere - James 5:7-11

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This is the last Sunday of 2024. It is customary for many this time of year to do some extra reflections on the year that was and look ahead to the year that will be. Many make their new years resolutions. I’ve never really been much on new years resolutions, personally. It has been shown that these are generally pretty ineffective at generating lasting change.
Nevertheless, the practice of reflection on the past and planning for future IS a very healthy practice and we should all carve more time out in our busy lives to that regularly.
I don’t know exactly how each of you feel about what 2024 has been like for you. For some of you it’s been incredibly difficult. For others, it was a season of joy and accomplishments. I suspect most of us have had a mixture of difficulty and victory, joy and sorrow, blessing and hardship.
And if I were to guess, as we enter into to 2025, we can expect another year of both blessing and challenge, because that’s just the way life works. So often, even in the hardship, there are reasons for joy. And often, even in blessing, there can be a tinge of sorrow mixed in.
Scripture calls us over and over again to endurance, and there are a variety of terms that are used to push us in this direction. One is Endurance. Long-suffering. Forbearance. Perseverance. Patience.
This implies that while we certainly will have seasons of life that are full of joy and wonderful experiences, life will have it’s hardships. There is a sense in which life itself is something that we must endure, we must persevere in life itself. While that might seem like a dismal thought, the reality is that when we consider what Christ has done for us, life doesn’t have to be drudgery. Even in the sorrow, the pain, the hardship, and the toil, we can have a fulfilled life of peace and joy!
But living life that way begins with learning patience in the midst of the hardship.
Patience.
It's been a running joke as long as I’ve been aware. There are two things for which you should never pray: first, humility, because God will find ways to humble you. And the second is patience, because God will give you opportunities galore to learn it.
And yet, we are called to exercise it so much throughout Scripture, that the attitude of avoidance of the issue is really dangerous, and can rob us of our joy in life!
When I was growing up we had some cassette tape that we listened with children’s stories and songs. One had a song about patience. The lyrics when something like
“I can’t wait to have patience, because patience is a wonderful thing. Hurry up, gotta have it, gotta get it now; I want it more than anything. This has taken long enough, give me some of that patience stuff. I can’t wait to have patience; hurry up, hurry up, hurry up!”
That just don’t make em like they used to folks.
Brothers and sisters, one of the keys to living the life of joy to which we are called is to learn to live a life of patience.
We’ve spent so much time in the book of Daniel, examining the prophecies of the future. We’ve spent so much time talking about the reality of coming judgment and the rescue of God’s people. The reason God gave those prophecies was to encourage and instill hope in His people. The reason for the prophecies was to help His people see the big picture which would inspire endurance and perseverance in their faith.
We are going to return to Daniel, Lord willing, next week, but as we finish 2024 and enter 2025, I found myself drawn to a text from James 5 that touches on return of Christ as we seek to live patiently waiting for His return. I hope and prayer is that today’s message will help us learn how to keep our perspective and persevere with patience as we wait for our Lord.
So please turn to James chapter 5.
It is largely believed that James may have been the first book of the New Testament to be written. It is an immensely practical book that touches on many themes, from joy in sorrow, to growing in wisdom, to controlling our speech, to exercising genuine faith, to the power of prayer, and many other things. If all you did this year was study the book of James on a loop, you would grow incredibly.
For today, I want to take us to chapter 5. In context, James has just issued a warning to those who are wealthy and have abused their wealth to bring hardship on others.
From there he turns his attention to those who may have been on the receiving end of what he just condemned the abusive. He wanted to give them hope, inspire endurance, and instill patience, even as they experience hardship at the hands of others.
Therefore be patient, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the soil, being patient about it, until it receives the early and late rains.
You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
Do not groan, brothers, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged. Behold, the Judge is standing right at the door.
As an example, brothers, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
Behold, we count those blessed who persevere. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.
There are at least five things that James directs us to as we consider how we grow in patience:
Be patient by looking up
Looking up and forward to the return of Christ.
Some things in life are worth waiting for.
This is a somewhat backwards illustration, but there is the tradition of a groom who must wait to see his bride on their wedding day until she comes down the aisle. It’s worth the wait!
Waiting 9 months for a child to be born, not realizing how full your heart would be of love for that newborn baby.
The return of Christ is worth waiting for.
a primary point for Daniel. The Ancient of Days will come on the clouds.
Days of Elijah. Behold he comes, riding on the cloud, shining like the sun, at the trumpets call, lift your voice, out of Zion’s hill salvation comes!
Jesus’ return will be the most significance event in human history since the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
This is the most significant thing we can do to learn patience. Look to Jesus! Sometimes we feel like the Psalmists as they cry out “How long, o Lord! How long must we endure? How long must we wait??”
But the promise is given: though sorrow may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning.
Paul agreed:
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
For our momentary, light affliction is working out for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,
There is something coming that far outweighs anything we experience in this life, and it is worth waiting for.
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, laying aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary, fainting in heart.
2025 can be a good year, whatever may come, if we learn to fix our eyes on Jesus, because seeing Him will make whatever we experience, either good or bad, pale in comparison to the glory to come.
2. Be Patient by looking down
James gives us an illustration to help us know what patience looks like. Behold, the farmer. He waits. Note that James calls it precious fruit of the ground. Again, worth waiting for. Why is it precious?
It sustains, satisfies, nourishes.
He waits for the crops to grow, he waits for the early and late rains. Early rains would have been the rain in the planting season, with the late rains that come just before harvest. The late rains signify that the harvest is near.
I love this illustration from James because I believe there is much that is implied. He uses a farmer for a reason. What does a farmer do while he waits?
does he plant, and then spend the rest of his time sitting around and waiting for the crops to grow and waiting for the rain to come?
No! He’s busy! There are weeds to address, fertilizer to spread, and tending to crop in other ways. Farmers must monitor the crop for weeds, pests, disease, or other issues and address them as needed.
Brothers and sisters, this is so instructive for us. We are to wait for Jesus Christ, but we are not to sit down and kick up our feet and bide our time until he comes! We are to be busy! We have been given a commission! We are to make disciples!
And waiting is much easier when we are hard at work, isn’t it?
Here at Pillar one of our theological distinctives is that we believe in a pre-tribulation rapture of the Church. I don’t know if you are aware, but in academia and other circles, that theological position is under heavy fire, and many want to see this theology die out.
One reason for this is because some believe that our theology breeds a kind of laziness, or an escapist mindset. Why polish brass on a sinking ship? Why do anything of value in this world, because hey, it’s all going to burn anyway. Why not just bide our time and wait for the rapture that will get us out of this mess of a world that we live in.
Once I was a guest speaker at a church and I had a sweet elderly woman approach me on her way out the door. “Sweety, I think it’s so great what you want to do with planting a church and all, but you need to know. None of it matters. Jesus is going to come back before you get planted” well.....we’re still here. What if I had taken her seriously, and gave up on the plant?
This is a serious error, that SOME people with our theology may be tempted to make.
Do we believe that Jesus could return at any moment? YES! But Should that lead us to checking out and twiddling our thumbs until he returns?? NOO! God forbid! There is too much at stake! Too many lives who need to be touched by the Gospel!
When we put our heads down and work at the things that we are supposed to be doing, waiting gets much easier.
Third,
3. Be patient by looking in
This is not intended to be some pop-psychological technique, just look within yourself, in you is power you just need to find it, look within yourself. Not what we’re after.
I saw looking in because James says in vs 8 “strengthen your hearts”
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 74.19 στηρίζω; ἐπιστηρίζω; στερεόω
to cause someone to become stronger in the sense of more firm and unchanging in attitude or belief
I was reading John MacArthur’s commentary on this text, and I really appreciated the balance he brought to the table as he discussed this phrase.
He noted how spiritual strengthening is often spoken of as the gracious work of the Spirit in our lives, but then here it is presented as our responsibility. he writes
“Christians are not to “let go and let God” nor are they to view the Christian life one of legalistic self-effort. Instead they are to live as if everything depends on them, knowing that it all depends on God”
I’ve similarly heard others say, work as if it all depends on you, pray as if it all depends on God.
Strengthen your hearts. Look inside. Ask yourself, where is your hope? In whom are you putting your trust?
Self-talk can be over played by pop-psychology, but there is a reality that we are to challenge our own thought processes and the contemplation of our hearts.
Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why are you disturbed within me? Wait for God, for I shall still praise Him, The salvation of my presence and my God.
Strengthen your heart by reminding yourself of what is true and casting your hope upon Christ! The coming of the Lord is at hand! Is near! It will come soon enough!
Grow in patience by looking within and challenging your own heart to hope in Christ.
4. Be patient by avoiding looking around vs 9
James now gives us a warning of something to avoid. Nothing steals our joy or makes us more impatience by looking around at what others are doing and whining and complaining about them.
The word to groan has the idea of complaining strongly against someone.
Remember, the context here is how believers are to respond when they are mistreated by others who are abusing their wealth. When we are mistreated, it is so easy to grumble about it, complain about, or use that as an excuse for our own misbehavior.
James says not so fast. I know what they are doing. I’ve addressed them. I’ve told them to mourn and weep because of the judgment for their sins.
But their actions don’t give you an excuse to grumble and complain.
I frequently remind my children. You worry about you. You cannot control what others do; you can only control your actions and reactions.
This does NOT mean that genuine wrongs should not be addressed. Again, in context, James addresses them! This does mean that complaining and whining isn’t the answer.
He gives a warning here to us: Why should we not complain? So that you won’t be judged.
And then he reminds us, the judge is standing at the door.
The issue here is not one of eternal condemnation, we know that for those who are in Christ, there is therefore now NO condemnation, amen?
But there is the judgement seat of Christ and all believers will stand before Christ and give an account for their works. Some will receive reward. Others will suffer loss of reward. Complaining leads to loss of reward.
Friends, complaining about what others are doing will not only rob you of your joy, it will not only make enduring life harder, it will not only make patience impossible, but it will cost us before Christ. Not our standing before Him, as though our salvation depended on it, but our eternal rewards.
Avoid looking around at others. Grown in patience by tending to your own heart.
Finally,
Be patient by looking back
James gives us two more motivations for patience, and he does so by calling us to look back. vs 10.
Take the prophets. Consider the prophets. Those who spoke for God. These are the one that if anyone has got life figured out, it would be them right? They have a direct connection with almighty God! Surely they are going to do alright. Surely they won’t suffer.
Elijah was hunted by Ahab and Jezebel.
Daniel was taken from his home and forced to serve a pagan king in a pagan city. His friends were thrown into the fiery furnace. He was thrown to the lions.
Jeremiah suffered greatly. He was thrown into a mud pit for speaking truth, and he sank deep into the mud with no food or water.
Ezekiel’s wife died during his ministry.
Hosea's wife committed adultery.
John the Baptist was beheaded.
And yet. all of them remained faithful. Consider the prophets.
There is something inspirational about people who face the most difficult of circumstances and persevere through it. It gives us strength. It inspires us.
Foxes book of Martyrs. Tortured for Christ, voice of the martyrs.
We read these stories and are amazed at how God has sustained his people, even in the face of the most horrific of circumstances.
We count those blessed who persevere. What tremendous stories of faith! What great things God has done through them!
The reason this should be encouraging to us is because the same Spirit that empowered them to persevere is with you today if you believe! He will strengthen you! He’s done it before! He knows how! There was nothing special about those men, they simply trusted in their great God!
Then there’s Job. What a guy. Had it all. Lost it all, because God gave Satan permission. Interesting thing about Job, is that we are never told if he was ever made aware of why he suffered as he did.
Did he grieve? Yes. Did endure miserable company with worthless friends who just wanted to blame him for his predicament? Yep. Did he wrestle with God and plead to know why things went as they did? Sure did.
And yet twice we are told that in all this Job did not sin, nor did he give offense to God.
James’ point is less about job, but more about God: you have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.
Job’s fortunes were restored. God blessed him with more children and wealth. We aren’t promised material wealth, but its more about how things shake out in the end.
God is compassionate. It’s a word that speaks of not just sympathy, but affection.
He is merciful. Even in hardship, we aren’t getting what we truly deserve.
In the final analysis, we will find ourselves before our great God. Nothing else will matter then.
James’ encouragement to look back and see how the heroes of the faith and have endured suffering is less about how awesome those men and women are, and more about how kind God is even through the pain. He strengthened. He preserved. He will restore.
I don’t know what 2025 holds. I don’t even know if we’ll make it there. I wouldn’t mind being raptured, amen?
But whatever comes, we can live with joy and confidence if we learn patience. Learn patience by looking up to Christ, looking down to the work we have while we wait, looking in as we strengthen our hearts with truth, avoid looking around at others, and looking back to see what God has done.
I close with the lyrics of the hymn It will be worth it all
Sometimes the day seems long,
Our trials hard to bear.
We’re tempted to complain,
to murmur and despair.
But Christ will soon appear
to catch his bride away!
All tears forever over
in God's eternal day!
CHORUS:
It will be worth it all
when we see Jesus!
Life's trials will seem so small
when we see Christ.
One glimpse of his dear face,
all sorrow will erase.
So, bravely run the race
till we see Christ.